Hair sleeve

ABSTRACT

A hair sleeve includes a cap portion and a sleeve portion integrally formed with the cap portion. The cap portion includes a fastening band and an elastic member for securing the hair sleeve on the head of a person. The fastening band includes separate first and second portions defining a hook and loop fastener for adjusting the hair sleeve on the head of the person. The elastic member extends along only a portion of the periphery of the cap portion and is positioned opposite the fastening band so that an opening is defined between the fastening band and the elastic member. The hair sleeve may be made of a material selected from acetate, rayon, nylon, and silk, and may be formed with a satin weave that defines a matte surface on the exterior of the hair sleeve and a non-abrasive surface of the interior of the hair sleeve.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/014,519, filed Dec. 18, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of hair care, andmore particularly, to a hair sleeve made of a satin weave materialhaving a matte surface on the exterior and a non-abrasive andnon-absorbent surface on the interior.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Each year individuals spend large sums of money on hair braiding, hairextensions, hair locking, and maintaining relaxed hair and natural hair.In between hairstyling or haircuts, it is critically important that theshape and appearance of the hair be maintained.

In the past, hair coverings have been made with uncomfortable elasticwhich encircles the perimeter of the head, such as described in U.S.Pat. No. 6,948,190 issued to McGregor. Many people find hair coveringswith elastic around the perimeter of the head to be uncomfortable. Theelastic leaves unattractive marks on the forehead and the hair coveringcannot be worn for long periods of time since the elastic inhibits bloodcirculation, oftentimes causing a headache. The aforementioned problemmay be corrected by minimizing the portion of the head that contacts theelastic.

Hair coverings are frequently worn close to the head, such as describedin U.S. Pat. No. 7,437,777 issued to Marquardt and U.S. Pat. No.5,621,919 issued to Graham. The hair covering of Marquardt isspecifically designed for workers of the restaurant and health careindustries so that long hair can be restrained in a “sack” or a “pouch”keeping hair up and away from the neck. While such hair coverings areuseful for individuals working in a sterile environment, they tend tobunch or knot the hair restrained inside the “sack” or “pouch.” This isparticularly problematic if the hair has been braided or weaved as itcan seriously damage an expensive hairstyle. The hair covering of Grahamis specifically designed to retain hair which is held in a bun or Frenchroll. By definition, a bun or a French roll hairstyle requires thebunching or knotting of hair. Therefore, this device is not intended tobe worn with hair which has been braided, extended, or locked. Theselatter hairstyles are best protected by allowing the hair to extend fromroot to tip in some form of enclosure.

A further problem encountered with existing hair coverings is that thematerial used to make the hair covering can be damaging to the hair.Cotton material absorbs moisture from hair, causing it to become dry andbrittle. Fleece material causes hair, particularly fine hair, to beelectrostatic. Spandex and highly elastic materials cut off circulationcausing discomfort and headaches, and thus, the hair covering cannot beworn for extended periods of time.

It is well known that a satin weave protects and enhances the shininessand quality of hair, leaving it feeling hydrated and supple without theundesirable abrasion and moisture absorbency of other materials. As aresult, satin is a material preferred for use with a hair covering.Webster's Dictionary defines a satin weave as: “A weave in which thefilling and warp threads intersect in such a way as to give a smoothcompact surface with no distinguishable twill line.” Even in the case ofa material manufactured with a satin weave, it is critical to hair carethat the smooth side be placed against the hair so that the matte sidedoes not cause the hair to snag or break.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a hair sleeve that does notencircle the forehead with uncomfortable elastic, and instead, sitscomfortably on the head of a person without decreasing circulation sothat the hair sleeve can be worn for extended periods of time. Thereexists a further need for a hair sleeve that does not bunch, knot, orotherwise damage hair, thereby ruining an expensive hairstyle. Thereexists a further need for a hair sleeve made of a material that does notdry, electrify, or otherwise damage hair.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned problems and disadvantages are overcome by, and theabove needs, objectives and advantages, as well as others that will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art, are provided by a hairsleeve according to the present invention.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a hair sleeve forreceiving the hair of a person that includes a cap portion and a sleeveportion. The cap portion and the sleeve portion together define aninterior volume for receiving the hair of the person. The cap portion isconfigured to be positioned on the head of a person and the sleeveportion is integral with the cap portion. The cap portion includes afastening band and an elastic member for securing the hair sleeve on thehead of the person. The elastic member extends along only a portion ofthe outer periphery of the cap portion opposite the fastening band sothat an opening is defined between the elastic member and the fasteningband.

In an exemplary embodiment, the elastic member extends between the earsof the person and along the nape of the neck of the person when the capportion of the hair sleeve is positioned on the head of the person. Theelastic member is extensible to conform to the nominal diameter of thehead of the person. In another exemplary embodiment, the fastening bandmay include a first portion and a second portion wherein one of thefirst portion and the second portion includes a hook fastener, while theother of the first portion and the second portion includes a loopfastener.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a hair sleeve forcontaining the hair of a person including a cap portion and a sleeveportion. The cap portion is adapted to be positioned on the head of aperson and the sleeve portion is configured to depend from the capportion. The cap portion and the sleeve portion together define aninterior volume for receiving the hair of the person. The hair sleeve ismade of a material that defines a matte surface on an exterior of thehair sleeve and defines a non-abrasive surface on an interior of thehair sleeve.

In an exemplary embodiment, the sleeve portion has an operable lengththat is at least about 9 inches and is not greater than about 15 inches.In another exemplary embodiment, the sleeve portion has an operablelength that is at least about 15 inches and is not greater than about 60inches. In another exemplary embodiment the fastening band may include afirst portion and a second portion wherein one of the first portion andthe second portion includes a hook fastener, while the other of thefirst portion and the second portion includes a loop fastener.

In yet another aspect, a hair sleeve has an exterior and an interior forcontaining the hair of a person. The hair sleeve made of a material thatdefines a matte surface on the exterior of the hair sleeve and defines anon-absorbent surface on the interior of the hair sleeve.

In an exemplary embodiment, the material of the hair sleeve is selectedfrom the group consisting of acetate, rayon, nylon, and silk. In anotherexemplary embodiment, the material is formed with a satin weave in whicha plurality of filling threads are interlaced with warp threads atwidely separated intervals, producing the effect of an unbroken surfaceon the interior. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the fillingthreads and the warp threads intersect in such a way as to produce anon-abrasive surface with no distinguishable twill line on the interiorof the hair sleeve.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe detailed description which follows, and in part will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognizedby practicing the invention as described herein. It is to be understoodthat both the foregoing general description and the following detaileddescription present exemplary embodiments of the invention, and areintended to provide an overview or framework for understanding thenature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanyingdrawings are included to provide a further understanding of theinvention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of thisspecification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention are better understood when the following detailed descriptionof the invention is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a hair sleeve according to the invention withthe hair sleeve shown positioned on the head of a person.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a short length version of a hair sleeveaccording to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an extended version of a hair sleeveaccording to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the hair sleeve of FIG. 1 shown with thecap portion in a partially opened configuration.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the hair sleeve of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the hair sleeve of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings in which exemplary embodiments ofthe invention are shown. However, the invention may be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as limited to therepresentative embodiments set forth herein. The exemplary embodimentsare provided so that this disclosure will be both thorough and complete,and will fully convey the scope of the invention and enable one ofordinary skill in the art to make, use and practice the invention. Likereference numbers refer to like elements throughout the variousdrawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a hair sleeve according to the invention, indicatedgenerally at 22, shown as it would appear when positioned on the head ofa person. The hair sleeve 22 comprises a cap portion 14 and a sleeveportion 12. As shown herein, the sleeve portion 12 is integrally formedwith the cap portion 14 and depends from the cap portion. Together, thesleeve portion 12 and the cap portion 14 define an interior volume forreceiving the hair of a person.

In use, the hair sleeve 22 protects the hair of the person from damage,such as breakage caused by dehydration. The hair sleeve 22 also protectsthe hair of the person when the hair has been braided, extended, orlocked so that expensive hairstyles can be better maintained for alonger period of time.

The hair sleeve 22 can be provided in a short length version, asdepicted in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. In the short length version,the operable length of the sleeve portion 12 is at least about 9 inchesand is not greater than about 15 inches. The hair sleeve 22 can also beprovided in an extended version, as depicted in the embodiment shown inFIG. 3. In the extended version, the operable length of the sleeveportion is at least about 15 inches, and typically, is not greater thanabout 60 inches. The short length version or the extended version may beselected to accommodate the volume of hair of the person using the hairsleeve 22.

The hair sleeve 22 is made of a material that defines a matte surface onthe exterior of the hair sleeve and a non-abrasive surface on theinterior of the hair sleeve. The material may be selected from the groupconsisting of acetate, rayon, nylon, and silk, and may be formed with asatin weave. The satin weave consists of filling threads and warpthreads. By definition, Webster's Dictionary defines a satin weave as.“A weave in which the filling and warp threads intersect in such a wayas to give a smooth compact surface with no distinguishable twill line.”

As depicted herein, the cap portion 14 comprises a fastening band 10 andan elastic member 16. The elastic member 16 extends along only a portionof the entire outer periphery of the cap portion 14 so as to not inhibitblood circulation. As best shown in FIG. 4, an opening 20 is definedbetween the fastening band 10 and the elastic member 16. The fasteningband 10 of the cap portion 14 may comprise a first portion 24 and asecond portion 26. In the exemplary embodiments, one of the firstportion 24 and the second portion 26 comprises a hook fastener, whilethe other of the first portion 24 and the second portion 26 comprises aloop fastener. The hook and loop fastener 18 enables the fastening band10 to adjust the size of the cap portion 14 to comfortably fit aroundthe nominal diameter of the head of the person. In a preferredconfiguration, the elastic member 16 extends between the ears of theperson and along the nape of the neck of the person when the hair sleeve22 is properly positioned on the head of the person. The elastic member16 is extensible so that the cap portion 14 conforms to the nominaldiameter of the head of the person.

With the first portion 24 and the second portion 26 separated as aresult of the hook and loop fastener 18 being unengaged, a person isable to stretch the elastic member 16 to its maximum length ofextensibility to thereby comfortably and easily guide the volume of hairdown into the sleeve portion 12. Next, the elastic member 16 is releasedand the fastening band 10 is attached and adjusted to fit the nominaldiameter of the head of the person by engaging the hook and loopfastener 18 of the first portion 24 and the second portion 26.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the short length version of the hairsleeve 22 shown in FIG. 2. The short length version of the hair sleeve22 is best suited for hair styles that are less than about 15 inches inlength. FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the extended version of thehair sleeve 22 shown in FIG. 3. The extended version of the hair sleeve22 is best suited for hair styles that are greater than about 15 inchesin length. In most instances, the extended version of the hair sleeve 22will be configured to receive a hair style having a length no greaterthan about 60 inches.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference toexemplary embodiments, it is envisioned that various details of theinvention may be changed without departing from the scope of theinvention. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the exemplaryembodiments of the invention and best mode for practicing the inventionare provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for thepurpose of limitation.

1. A hair sleeve for receiving the hair of a person comprising: a cap portion configured to be positioned on the head of a person, the cap portion including a fastening band and an elastic member for securing the hair sleeve on the head of the person; and a sleeve portion integral with the cap portion, the cap portion and the sleeve portion together defining an interior volume for receiving the hair of the person; wherein the elastic member extends along only a portion of the outer periphery of the cap portion opposite the fastening band so that an opening is defined between the elastic member and the fastening band.
 2. A hair sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member extends between the ears of the person and along the nape of the neck of the person when the hair sleeve is positioned on the head of the person.
 3. A hair sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is extensible to conform to the nominal diameter of the head of the person.
 4. A hair sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the fastening band includes a first portion and a second portion and wherein one of the first portion and the second portion comprises a hook fastener, while the other of the first portion and the second portion comprises a loop fastener.
 5. A hair sleeve for containing the hair of a person comprising: a cap portion configured to be positioned on the head of a person; and a sleeve portion depending from the cap portion, the cap portion and the sleeve portion together defining an interior volume for receiving the hair of the person; wherein the hair sleeve is made from a material that defines a matte surface on an exterior of the hair sleeve and defines a non-abrasive surface on an interior of the hair sleeve.
 6. A hair sleeve according to claim 5, wherein the sleeve portion has an operable length that is at least about 9 inches and is not greater than about 15 inches.
 7. A hair sleeve according to claim 5, wherein the sleeve portion has an operable length that is at least about 15 inches and is not greater than about 60 inches.
 8. A hair sleeve according to claim 5, wherein the fastening band includes a first portion and a second portion and wherein one of the first portion and the second portion comprises a hook fastener, while the other of the first portion and the second portion comprises a loop fastener.
 9. A hair sleeve having an exterior and an interior for containing the hair of a person, the hair sleeve made of a material that defines a matte surface on the exterior of the hair sleeve and defines a non-absorbent surface on the interior of the hair sleeve.
 10. A hair sleeve according to claim 9, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of acetate, rayon, nylon, and silk.
 11. A hair sleeve according to claim 9, wherein the material is formed with a satin weave.
 12. A hair sleeve according to claim 9, wherein the material is formed with a satin weave in which a plurality of filling threads are interlaced with warp threads at widely separated intervals, producing the effect of an unbroken surface on the interior.
 13. A hair sleeve according to claim 12, wherein the filling threads and the warp threads intersect in such a way as to produce a non-abrasive surface with no distinguishable twill line on the interior of the hair sleeve. 